SKU: IZ.CBW205

9 x 12 in inches.

Long before the tragic sinking of the Medusa, was the sinking of the French ship, The Medusa. The frigate Medusa was completed in 1806, launched in 1810, and saw action in the Napoleonic wars. In 1816, it set sail from French to its ultimate location in Senegal to repossess it from the British. Along with cargo, there were almost 400 people on board. What no one knew, however, was that there was an incompetent captain on board with dubious skills.

The ship was caught in a storm off the coast of Mauritania. After being damaged from hitting rocks and multiple attempts to relaunch it, it couldn't move. Soon, it was discovered that there was a shortage of lifeboats. Most of the crew and some of the passengers made their way to the lifeboats, saving about 250 people. That left about 149 others on board.

Crew members left on board scrambled to build a raft for the others. The raft was launched and tied to one of the lifeboats. The hope was that everyone would make it to land, almost 60 miles away. The horror came, when the captain ordered the raft to be cut loose, claiming, that it was slowing everyone else down. That left the raft survivors to their own devices.

Multiple days at sea brought on starvation, death and disease. People starved to death, and acts of desperation came about, such as the weak, but alive, being thrown overboard, and even cannibalism.

Many days later, when survivors were finally rescued, there were only 15 people left alive, with 5 of them dying soon afterwards. News of the disaster quickly reached France, where both the government and the people were thoroughly outraged. Newspapers covered the disaster, and eventually there were trials prosecuting the captain and the crew for negligence. This can be considered as the first documented sea disaster.

In 1818, 27 year- old Theodore Gericault was so moved by this disaster, that he painted his masterpiece, The Raft of The Medusa. To this day, the painting, which is enormous in size and almost the size of the raft itself, hangs in the Louvre.

This is my first attempt at program music. It was my hope that I captured the mood, the feeling, and above all, in all good program music, that my composition told the story.

SKU: IZ.CBW205-S

9 x 12 in inches.

Long before the tragic sinking of the Medusa, was the sinking of the French ship, The Medusa. The frigate Medusa was completed in 1806, launched in 1810, and saw action in the Napoleonic wars. In 1816, it set sail from French to its ultimate location in Senegal to repossess it from the British. Along with cargo, there were almost 400 people on board. What no one knew, however, was that there was an incompetent captain on board with dubious skills.

The ship was caught in a storm off the coast of Mauritania. After being damaged from hitting rocks and multiple attempts to relaunch it, it couldn't move. Soon, it was discovered that there was a shortage of lifeboats. Most of the crew and some of the passengers made their way to the lifeboats, saving about 250 people. That left about 149 others on board.

Crew members left on board scrambled to build a raft for the others. The raft was launched and tied to one of the lifeboats. The hope was that everyone would make it to land, almost 60 miles away. The horror came, when the captain ordered the raft to be cut loose, claiming, that it was slowing everyone else down. That left the raft survivors to their own devices.

Multiple days at sea brought on starvation, death and disease. People starved to death, and acts of desperation came about, such as the weak, but alive, being thrown overboard, and even cannibalism.

Many days later, when survivors were finally rescued, there were only 15 people left alive, with 5 of them dying soon afterwards. News of the disaster quickly reached France, where both the government and the people were thoroughly outraged. Newspapers covered the disaster, and eventually there were trials prosecuting the captain and the crew for negligence. This can be considered as the first documented sea disaster.

In 1818, 27 year- old Theodore Gericault was so moved by this disaster, that he painted his masterpiece, The Raft of The Medusa. To this day, the painting, which is enormous in size and almost the size of the raft itself, hangs in the Louvre.

This is my first attempt at program music. It was my hope that I captured the mood, the feeling, and above all, in all good program music, that my composition told the story.

SKU: A0.549240

Flight of the Bumblebee from Korsakov's Tale of Tsar Saltan Score: 11 pages, Solo part: 3 pages, Piano accompaniment part: 3 pages. Duration: ca. 1:15 Amaze your listeners with this short but great recital encore!

Flight of the Bumblebee

Flight of the Bumblebee is, to be sure, an orchestral interlude composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Korsakov, of course, intended to musically portray the chaotic flying pattern of a bumblebee. Nowadays, this piece is one of the comparatively more famous classical works because it frequently appears from time to time in popular culture. In the opera, the piece appears notably at the close of Act III, Tableau 1. This is when the magic Swan-Bird, in fact, changes the Prince (the son of the Tsar) into a bee so he can fly away to visit his father. Interestingly, at this point in the drama, his father, in effect, does not know that he is alive.

 

Korsakov Background

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 –1908) was a uniquely famous composer from Russia. He was likewise a member of an infamous assembly of composers called The Five. Korsakov was furthermore an expert in orchestration. His correspondingly most famous orchestral compositions-Capriccio Espagnol, the Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the Scheherazade suite-are important monuments of the standard music repertoire.  Also, comparatively very important are his suites and excerpts from his 15 operas. Korsakov was moreover fond of using Russian folklore and fairy tales in his music, such as Scheherazade. 

Nationalistic Style

Korsakov believed, similarly to fellow outspoken composer Balakirev, in creating a nationalistic, Russia-centric style of classical music. The new style was in fact called Orientalism. It similarly relied on native Russian materials, exotic scales, and experimental harmonic, melodic and rhythmic procedures. This practice, conversely, ran counter to the developments in Western musical culture.

Musical Developments

Nevertheless, Korsakov developed an appreciation of Western musical techniques after he became a professor of musical composition, harmony, and orchestration at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1871. Moreover, he undertook a rigorous three-year program of self-education and mastered Western methods, incorporating them in conjunction with the influences of Mikhail Glinka and other members of The Five. His techniques of composition and orchestration were additionally enriched by his exposure to the works of Richard Wagner.

Naval Service

Korsakov combined his music career accordingly with a career in the Russian military. He was in the first place an officer in the Russian Navy. In due time, he was appointed as a civilian Inspector of Naval Bands. As a result, Korsakov expanded his knowledge of woodwind and brass playing, which in turn heightened his capabilities in orchestration.

Legacy

Korsakov in due time contributed a significant number of Russian nationalist works. He also prepared, from time to time, compositions by The Five for presentation. This brought their works straightaway into the active classical repertoire as well. He also shaped an entire generation of younger composers during his time as a music educator. Therefore, music historians consider Korsakov as the foremost engineer of what the public considers to be the Russian style of composition. He served, all in all, as a transitional figure between The Five and the classically trained composers who became the norm over time. In addition to the Russians, he forthwith influenced non-Russian composers such as Ravel, Debussy, Dukas, and Respighi.

 

SKU: A0.549256

Flight of the Bumblebee from Korsakov's Tale of Tsar Saltan Score: 9 pages, Solo part: 3 pages, Piano accompaniment part: 3 pages. Duration: ca. 1:15 Amaze your listeners with this short but stunning recital encore! Korsakov:

Flight of the Bumblebee

Flight of the Bumblebee is, to be sure, an orchestral interlude composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan. Korsakov, of course, intended to musically portray the chaotic flying pattern of a bumblebee. Nowadays, this piece is one of the comparatively more famous classical works because it frequently appears from time to time in popular culture. In the opera, the piece appears notably at the close of Act III, Tableau 1. This is when the magic Swan-Bird, in fact, changes the Prince (the son of the Tsar) into a bee so he can fly away to visit his father. Interestingly, at this point in the drama, his father, in effect, does not know that he is alive.

 

Korsakov Background

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 –1908) was a uniquely famous composer from Russia. He was likewise a member of an infamous assembly of composers called The Five. Korsakov was furthermore an expert in orchestration. His correspondingly most famous orchestral compositions-Capriccio Espagnol, the Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the Scheherazade suite-are important monuments of the standard music repertoire.  Also, comparatively very important are his suites and excerpts from his 15 operas. Korsakov was moreover fond of using Russian folklore and fairy tales in his music, such as Scheherazade. 

Nationalistic Style

Korsakov believed, similarly to fellow outspoken composer Balakirev, in creating a nationalistic, Russia-centric style of classical music. The new style was in fact called Orientalism. It similarly relied on native Russian materials, exotic scales, and experimental harmonic, melodic and rhythmic procedures. This practice, conversely, ran counter to the developments in Western musical culture.

Musical Developments

Nevertheless, Korsakov developed an appreciation of Western musical techniques after he became a professor of musical composition, harmony, and orchestration at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1871. Moreover, he undertook a rigorous three-year program of self-education and mastered Western methods, incorporating them in conjunction with the influences of Mikhail Glinka and other members of The Five. His techniques of composition and orchestration were additionally enriched by his exposure to the works of Richard Wagner.

Naval Service

Korsakov combined his music career accordingly with a career in the Russian military. He was in the first place an officer in the Russian Navy. In due time, he was appointed as a civilian Inspector of Naval Bands. As a result, Korsakov expanded his knowledge of woodwind and brass playing, which in turn heightened his capabilities in orchestration.

Legacy

Korsakov in due time contributed a significant number of Russian nationalist works. He also prepared, from time to time, compositions by The Five for presentation. This brought their works straightaway into the active classical repertoire as well. He also shaped an entire generation of younger composers during his time as a music educator. Therefore, music historians consider Korsakov as the foremost engineer of what the public considers to be the Russian style of composition. He served, all in all, as a transitional figure between The Five and the classically trained composers who became the norm over time. In addition to the Russians, he forthwith influenced non-Russian composers such as Ravel, Debussy, Dukas, and Respighi.